Snakes @ Bucs 8/16-8/18 Series Thread

[evolver115]

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The struggling Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping a return home can improve their fortunes. They're also hoping that some extra rest will give a boost to rookie Gerrit Cole.


Cole will make his first start in eight days Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks looking to help the Pirates match their longest home win streak of the season.

Pittsburgh (71-49) earned just one win on its six-game trek, 5-1 against St. Louis on Wednesday, and closed out that trip with a 6-5 defeat in 12 innings the next day. The loss cut the Pirates' NL Central lead over the Cardinals to two games but they're looking to add to that advantage during a brief stay at home.

Pittsburgh has won five straight -- and 12 of 15 -- at PNC Park and should have a refreshed Cole on the mound for the series opener against Arizona (62-57). The Pirates used Monday's off day to give their right-hander a break and try to limit his innings.

"We prefer ... (for Cole not) to leave the game after five innings, but pick our spots," manager Clint Hurdle told the team's website. "The way we mapped it out for him, he'll make three starts through the end of the month instead of four. We knocked an entire start out, knocked another 100 pitches off the plate. We'll look to trim in other places as well."

Cole (5-5, 3.95 ERA) gave up a career-high four runs over five innings in his most recent start Aug. 8 against Miami, but he avoided a third straight loss when his teammates rallied to force extra innings in a 5-4 win. He has lost five of his last six decisions after winning each of his first four starts.

Cole will make his first start against an Arizona team that used three late comebacks for a home sweep of Baltimore earlier this week. The Diamondbacks, however, couldn't make a dent in their 7 1/2-game deficit to the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

Aaron Hill had the winning and tying singles in a 5-4 victory in 14 innings Wednesday, his sixth multihit performance in the last seven games. Arizona trailed after the sixth inning in all three matchups with the Orioles and rallied from a three-run deficit in the series finale.

"These three games are bringing the confidence a little bit up," infielder Martin Prado told the team's website. "We were a little bit down, but actually we're starting to believe we can do this, keep battling until the end."

Brandon McCarthy (2-6, 4.73) will seek to snap a three-game skid with a better performance against Pittsburgh. The right-hander has allowed two runs in each of his two outings since returning from inflammation in his pitching shoulder but he's received a combined one run of support.

He lasted seven innings in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday.

McCarthy was tagged for six runs and a season-high 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings in his only start against the Pirates, a 6-5 loss April 9. Pittsburgh will try to get to him again while recording its first six-game home win streak since May 19-30.

Garrett Jones went 3 for 4 against McCarthy in April, and Starling Marte and Neil Walker each had two-run hits. Walker had a nine-game hit streak snapped Thursday.

Marte was 6 for 13 (.462) with two doubles and a triple as Pittsburgh won two of three in Arizona from April 8-10.

 

[Darkstone42]

Back home after an extremely unsuccessful road trip. We need to play as well as we usually do at home in this series.

 

[evolver115]

You know, you can easily make the case that the Bucs should have gone 3-3 on the previous trip. The phantom balk call on Locke cost us a run in what ultimately was a one run win for the rockies, and then we have Marte's dropped fly ball in game one against the tweety birds.

Water under the bridge, now. They need to regroup and at least take two of three from the snakes.

 

[Darkstone42]

You know, you can easily make the case that the Bucs should have gone 3-3 on the previous trip. The phantom balk call on Locke cost us a run in what ultimately was a one run win for the rockies, and then we have Marte's dropped fly ball in game one against the tweety birds.

Water under the bridge, now. They need to regroup and at least take two of three from the snakes.

Yeah, we easily could have been 3-3 or even 4-2 (Walker's foul ball in extras yesterday didn't miss fair ground by much, and certainly would have brought in the go-ahead run). But that's not how things worked out, we went 1-5, and now we need some wins, if for no reason other than to get our confidence back.

I actually thought we outplayed St. Louis, though, in at least two of the three games, and even with them in the other, so that's good, and hopefully the team realizes they were playing good baseball and don't press. We can't afford a slump with the Reds heating up.

But the nice thing about this series is that we have a chance at home to distance ourselves a little bit more from the only team who can conceivably knock us out of the playoffs.

 

[thedddd]

Yeah, we easily could have been 3-3 or even 4-2 (Walker's foul ball in extras yesterday didn't miss fair ground by much, and certainly would have brought in the go-ahead run). But that's not how things worked out, we went 1-5, and now we need some wins, if for no reason other than to get our confidence back.

I actually thought we outplayed St. Louis, though, in at least two of the three games, and even with them in the other, so that's good, and hopefully the team realizes they were playing good baseball and don't press. We can't afford a slump with the Reds heating up.

But the nice thing about this series is that we have a chance at home to distance ourselves a little bit more from the only team who can conceivably knock us out of the playoffs.

Yeah lets hope they turn it around and keep winning. They keep teasing us to 82 wins I just want that to happen already!

As for missed opportunities on a loss in this road trip was McCutchen's base running blunder not going home no Martins groundball. He could have been half way down the line already on contact since the the third baseman was so far off the bag.

 

[tsmbaseball]

But the nice thing about this series is that we have a chance at home to distance ourselves a little bit more from the only team who can conceivably knock us out of the playoffs.

Definitely agree and, as a fan, that's what makes this series as relevant as the St. Louis series. These games are just as important when you look at the playoff picture and how things could play out as the season winds down.

 

[steelparrot]

We need 2 outa 3 for sure.


These recent 'vet' minor league signings have me wondering whats going to happen on sept 1, Its been so long since we made the playoffs, I dont really know how many of these type players teams normally call up on Sept 1.


We can still 60day dl McKenry and waive Sands and Canzler, after that imho, the players to valuable to get rid of for one month of a vet.

Farnsworth, Shoppach and a trade? Hell, we could get an overpaid, rental that cleared waivers for Sands and Canzler probably.

Cards down 4-0.

 

[Darkstone42]

Nice hit, Walker!

 

[Darkstone42]

Cutch!

 

[dare2be]

Marte two-handed that catch in the 8th.

 

[Darkstone42]

Jose!

This is a nice bounce-back game.

 

[TheBurgh88]

Thank you Chapman! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

 

[stillmatic32]

Thank you Chapman! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

Wow! I didn't check that score after it went final. What a pleasant surprise. Great night for the Bucs.

 

[thedddd]

Well starting in the hole down 2-0.

 

[Darkstone42]

Locke does not have it today.

 

[thedddd]

Not at all. What is scary he hasn't had a quality start in a while.

 

[Darkstone42]

Well, the bottom of the third went well.

 

[thedddd]

Yeah lets hope they can come all the way back!

 

[Darkstone42]

Walker is so bad right handed.

 

[thedddd]

That didn't go as planned...